Political Notebook: 5 ways John Edwards can get more attention

Weekly political rail, with a poll on President Bush’s approval ratings, a candidate who promises to not do the job, The List (on John Edwards) and more.

The List
John Edwards recently complained about the media’s coverage of his campaign, saying he hardly gets any press compared with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. And during a recent debate, he had to remind Hillary and Barack (and TV viewers) that he was in the room. So in an effort to help Edwards, we have some ideas for him to get more attention (any press is good press, right?):
5. Name Teresa Heinz Kerry his running-mate. John Kerry doesn’t want to be his friend? Forget him -- draft Mrs. Kerry.
4. Broker a deal to end the writers strike – he’ll gain about 300 million fans.
3. Edwards promised not to get another $400 haircut – but did he say he wouldn’t get an $800 haircut? He could even make a whole production out of out and get Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer and the rest of the “BarberShop” crew to work on his coiffure.
2. When Obama was photographed shirtless, it seemed to help his campaign, so it’s time for Edwards to rip off his shirt and be photographed. He kind of looks like a male model, and we’re betting he has pecs of steel.
1. OK, so that might a little too much to ask. Three words then: Show some cleavage.
Pol Polls
While it might seem like we don’t have a president right now, what with everyone’s focus being on the campaigns, we do, and his approval ratings still aren’t very good. According to RealClearPolitics.com, which averages poll results, a recent look at President Bush’s approval ratings found:
- 35 percent approve of his performance
- 61.4 percent disapprove of his performance
Congress fared even worse than Bush, however. The Congressional approval ratings:
- 24 percent approve of its performance
- 70 percent disapprove of its performance
Number to Know: 935
False statements made by President Bush and his top aides in the lead-up to the Iraq war, according to a study by two nonprofit journalism groups. The study examined government transcripts and speeches, quotes to the media and more, according to CNN.
Quote of Note
“I don’t plan to do the job.”
Ed Hamilton, a candidate for Kerr County (Texas) treasurer on what will happen if he’s elected. While jaded political watchers might think a politician is finally being honest, Hamilton is serious. The 77-year-old thinks the job is a waste of money and that it can be handled by another county office. The job pays $46,000 annually.
Better Know a Politician: Dennis Kucinich
Political career: Dennis John Kucinich was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 elections. Kucinich currently represents the 10th District of Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives. His district includes most of western Cleveland, as well as such suburbs as Parma and Cuyahoga Heights. He is currently the chairman of the Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and is also a member of the Education and Labor Committee. From 1977 to 1979, Kucinich served as the 53rd mayor of Cleveland, a tumultuous term in which he survived a recall election and was successful in a battle against selling the municipal electric utility before being defeated for re-election by George Voinovich.
Personal info: Kucinich was born in Cleveland on Oct. 8, 1946, as the eldest of the seven children of Frank and Virginia Kucinich. His father, a truck driver, was of Croatian ancestry; his Irish-American mother was a homemaker. Kucinich attended Cleveland State University from 1967 to 1970. In 1973, he graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a BA and an MA in speech and communication. Kucinich was baptized a Roman Catholic. He is twice-divorced, with a daughter, Jackie, from his marriage to Sandra Lee McCarthy. He married his third wife, Elizabeth Harper, in 2005. In 2003, Kucinich was the recipient of the Gandhi Peace Award, an annual award bestowed by the Religious Society of Friends-affiliated organization Promoting Enduring Peace. -– Wikipedia.org
Political Pun-dits
"It looks like the Democratic field is really starting to get narrowed down. For Democrats, it's going to be Barack Obama versus Hillary. So it's a black man or a white woman. You know, this is the same decision Michael Jackson has to make every morning of his life." -- Jay Leno
This Week in Political History
Jan. 27, 1825 - U.S. Congress approves Indian Territory (in what is present-day Oklahoma), clearing the way for forced relocation of the Eastern Indians on the "Trail of Tears."
Jan. 28, 1915 - An act of the U.S. Congress creates the United States Coast Guard.
Jan. 29, 2002 - In his State of the Union Address, President George W. Bush describes "regimes that sponsor terror" as an Axis of Evil, in which he includes Iraq, Iran and North Korea.
Jan. 30, 1976 - George H. W. Bush becomes 11th director of the CIA.
Jan. 31, 1876 - The United States orders all Native Americans to move into reservations.
Feb. 1, 1979 - Convicted bank robber Patty Hearst is released from prison after her sentence was commuted by President Jimmy Carter.
Feb. 2, 1790 - The U.S. Supreme Court convenes for the first time (after an unsuccessful attempt on Feb. 1).
GateHouse News Service